


Dizzy

by lmeden



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-17
Updated: 2010-11-17
Packaged: 2017-10-13 06:18:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/133918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lmeden/pseuds/lmeden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a bare stone hall at the bottom of the Ministry of Magic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dizzy

**Author's Note:**

> This is it. karraparis, the fic you requested from me is here. I am so, so sorry that it took this long, but I do hope that you enjoy.

The hallway is bare stone; not a single window breaches its walls and there is only one doorway in sight. The door is open, and a pair of Aurors flanks it. Their wands are out, held low at their waists, one hand clasping the opposite wrist. They are ready. Harry has his own wand out and held low. It is in his right hand and pointing it to the left, straight at the torso of the man next to him. Just in case Malfoy decides to run. A thin rope of silk, woven and dipped in spellwork, binds their wrists together like handcuffs. Malfoy does not fight against it, and he seems oddly calm. It makes Harry suspicious and edgy, and he edges the tip of his wand closer and closer to the other man.

Together, Harry with his wand out and Malfoy’s left hand occasionally clenching, reaching for the wand that has been taken from him, they move.

Harry nods to the Aurors, and they stare straight head, seemingly unconscious of them. Harry walks between them and through the door, slightly ahead of Malfoy, just far enough ahead to guide him, but not far enough for Malfoy to lose dignity. Harry knows that Malfoy’s pride will prevent him from fighting Harry. For now.

In the center of the room stands a tall man, heavy black robes flowing off his shoulders and straight to the floor. The collar is tight around his neck, and his jowls sag over it. His pale eyes watch the two of them as they walk up to him, only blinking once they have stopped, mere feet from him. Harry feels Malfoy go tense next to him.

The man, the Ministry Man, turns smoothly, uncommonly graceful. He reaches for something behind himself and then turns back, holding a weighty metal goblet in his hand. He hands it to Harry, who must slip his wand into his robes before he can take it. This man, and the Aurors outside, will have to control Malfoy now if he attempts to break away.

Harry looks into the dark liquid in the goblet. His eyes look black in it, shadowed and fathomless. He cautiously raises it up (and yes, he does recall that some Potions fumes can be deadly from his schooldays, but the Ministry would hardly hand him something so dangerous, now would they) and sniffs. It appears to be red wine – he can smell nothing but the grapes’ bitter tang and the sweetness threaded through them.

The Ministry Man reaches back into his robes, into a waistcoat and Malfoy shifts backwards, away from him. Harry turns to see his head raise high and his eyes gone wide. He tugs at their bound wrists with a sharp jerk, and raises his eyebrows at Malfoy. Malfoy stills, and looks back at Harry. It is almost as if he is trying to say something with his gaze, but Harry can’t quite understand it.

The Ministry Man holds out two small glass vials between them. Harry turns to look at them. Beneath the clear glass, potions swirl. One is pearlescent and shining, beautiful. The other is deepest black.

“Choose one.”

Harry looks up, and the Ministry Man’s eyes are unearthly calm. He doesn’t understand.

He is bringing Malfoy to his execution. Malfoy has killed, and killed Muggles. It has been years since Harry returned Malfoy’s wand, trusting in what he knew of the man’s morality, that Malfoy would do nothing terrible with the return of his magic. And yet he was wrong, and it was recently discovered that Malfoy had used that wand - the wand that _Harry_ had returned to him - to commit murder. Harry was sent to arrest him. Despite all protestations of innocence, something Harry cannot believe, he is to be executed today. The punishment for murder is no longer Azkaban. Under this Ministry of Magic, it is death.

So why would them ask him to choose? Malfoy’s death is assured. Harry frowns down at the vials. The Ministry Man steps to the side and places the vials onto a small table. He pulls the cork from one and holds it out to Harry. Carefully, he sniffs at it. The sweet scent of Ginny’s hair, and sunlight, and crisp air. The man pulls the vial back and corks it.

There is Amortentia in the vial. A chill runs through Harry. What is the Ministry planning? He is an Auror, trained not to question, but he cannot help it. His eyes fall on the vial of black potion, an the Ministry Man shakes his head. He is not allowed to examine that one. The vial is death, then.

And suddenly, Harry thinks that he may know what is happening. He must choose Malfoy’s fate. Between a twisted love and twisted death; Harry is not sure which his worse. Slowly, he looks over, into Malfoy’s unfathomable grey eyes, now wide with panic.

Malfoy probably knew from the very first that something was up. Now he pulls against Harry, their wrists still bound, and turns, making for the door. The silk binding between them does not give, and pulls Harry after. He jolts and sets his stance against Malfoy, the wine sloshing in the goblet and dripping over his fingers.

Outside the door, the Aurors move simultaneously, turning inward, wands out and up. Their gazes are intense on Malfoy. Harry pulls back, trying to throw Malfoy off balance, and he spins back, close to Harry, eyes wide.

“Don’t let them…” he manages to whisper before one of he Aurors says roughly,

“ _Incarcerous_ ,”

and he falls halfway to the floor, bound. Harry pulls his hand from the silk binding their wrists together and lets him fall the rest of the way. He stares up at Harry, silent and accusatory. Harry recalls Malfoy’s vehement denials of wrongdoing; just perhaps, could he have been framed?

But it is no use thinking of that now.

Harry turns to the Ministry Man, who holds out the glass vials once more. This is a terrible choice – he doesn’t know which to pick, which will cause Malfoy less suffering. He has never forgotten Malfoy’s desperation as Harry lifted him from the fire in the Room of Requirement, and how Malfoy clutched at him. Malfoy is just as desperate now and, Harry is beginning to suspect, just as innocent.

Swallowing, Harry reaches out and takes the vial of pearlescent potion. Carefully, he uncorks it and lets several drops of Amortentia fall into the wine. Then he kneels next to Malfoy.

He tries to comfort himself with the thought that, if he does not do this, Malfoy will die, but everything in him rebels at the thought of what he is doing. Harry take his wand out and flicks it. Malfoy’s mouth is forced open. He glares at Harry with seething hate in his eyes.

Harry wants to say that he is sorry, but doesn’t. He lowers the goblet to Malfoy’s lips and pours some of the potion-tainted wine in. His spell snaps Malfoy’s jaw shut and forces him to swallow. A dark drip falls from the corner of his mouth and across his cheek as he lies there. Malfoy shudders.

Harry hears a pleased hmmm from the Ministry Man. The Man’s hand reaches past Harry’s shoulder, asking mutely for the goblet. But Harry retains it, and stares at Malfoy, tense on the floor.

And with a single motion, he lifts the goblet to his lips and swallows every drop of remaining wine. The Ministry Man snatches the goblet away and Harry gasps. It is too late now, he knows. He can already feel the potion within, churning. He feels dizzy, and he stares down at Malfoy, who opens his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

>  **EDIT as of 3/12/13** : This work now has [art](http://hd-remix.livejournal.com/50920.html)! And it's such truly amazing, beautiful art, too. I feel so honored to have this. Now that you've finished reading, go check this out.


End file.
